Monday, January 31, 2011

Shopping for the perfect shoe for your wedding or for a evening party can be difficult at times-sometimes you can’t find the right color, or you found the right color for your shoe, but you want more embellishment to coordinate with your dress. How about shoe clips? I know this may be a fashion from the past such as the 80s, but now they are coming back. Shoe clips may just be the add-on embellishment you need to complete your fashionable shoe. You can buy the shoe of your choice and create the glamorous look you want for less! I’ve come across Absolutely Audrey www.absolutelyaudrey.com/. They have a variety of assorted shoe clips, such as vintage shoe clips, casual shoe clips, evening shoe clips, and bridal shoe clips to complete your desired look. You might have the perfect shoe in your closet! - All you need is a trendy shoe clip and voila you have a new and improved designer shoe!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Brides, are you looking for a piece of jewelry that has a timeless and vintage finish? Check out this Stella & Dot heirloom deco bracelet. This deco style, Czech crystal bracelet was a standard for 30's starlets. Perfect for layering with other bangles and bracelets for extra glam on your night on the town. This bracelet can compliment your vintage and trendy bridal dress.

P.S. Host a trunk show in your home and invite your gals to a styling, shopping and bonding experience! In addition receive hostess jewelry rewards! Please email fouzia@mybridalbudget.com for more information!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

If you are planning on taking the next step into your relationship, such as making a commitment to be married- you want to make sure you and your fiancé have open and honest communication in your morals, beliefs, desires and goals in life so it can be aligned within your marriage and to live a fruitful marriage. In the midst of planning a wedding, pre-marital counseling can benefit your relationship- here are a couple of reasons:1)Strengthens communication skills2)It opens a discussion in role expectations3)Learn conflict resolution skills4)Explore spiritual beliefs5)Identify any problematic family of origin issues- there are couples who have different cultural family backgrounds, therefore who we are as individuals’ stems from where we come from. 6)Develops personal, couple and family goals- such as taking the time to discuss your goals and write them down as a couple. If there are differences you are able to communicate it an effective way to understand and accept these differences. 7)Skill-based pre-marital counseling can reduce the risk of divorce

New Life Fellowship in Elmhurst- Queens, NY is offering a two-day pre-marital seminar on January 21, 2011 7-9:30pm and January 22, 2011 10am-5pm. This seminar covers topics such as communication, expectations, conflict resolution, family history and sexuality. Cost: Non-New Life Members is $115/couple. This fee includes seminar materials, book, and lunch. For more information please click on: www.newlifefellowship.org. Please register at marriage@newlifefellowship.org. The return on your marriage investment has the potential to be life long!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Giving your guests a cozy wedding favors for your winter themed wedding is a treat! Instead of buying favors, how about creating a DIY wedding favor, such as a hot chocolate mix! - This will cost you as little as $0.35 per favor! Not to mention they are as easy to make!

Click on this tutorial to show you how to create your own hot coca favor:http://ruffledblog.com/hot-cocoa-favors-for-winter-weddings-with-a-printable-download/

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

I want to take the time to assist some brides with clarifying the difference between a wedding coordinator, wedding planner and a event designer. These terms are used interchangeably within the wedding industry, but there is a difference.

A wedding coordinator stays by your side throughout the day and night of your event. All the details that you’ve planned will be forward to your wedding coordinator to oversee that your needs are met during your wedding. They are there to tell you when things will be occurring throughout the night, such as the cake cutting, bouquet toss, toasts, cueing you down the aisle, etc. In addition, the wedding coordinator on the day of the wedding has a few duties that they pay close attention to, such as creating a timeline, setting up, and communicating with your vendors. My Bridal Budget staff personally stays until the very end of the wedding, until all of the guests are gone. There are coordinators that offer day of coordination and month and day of coordination services.

A wedding planner helps you plan your wedding from A to Z throughout your engagement. They are hired to help you with venue/vendor selection, assistance in selecting décor/ theme, attending essential vendor meetings, budget guidance, coordinating your rehearsal, and any details along the way. The wedding planner will be your bestfriend at the end of your experience. This becomes a special bond between the couple and wedding planner- it is very important that the couple is comfortable and confident in their selection for a planner. Please note that a wedding planner is simply to guide you through the process with you having the control of the choices you decide. Their expertise and experience play an essential role in pairing you with vendors to fit your budget, personality, style and needs. Many wedding planners are coordinators as well.

Typically, some planners are event designers. Event designers are perfect for a couple that just can’t articulate their own décor vision. Event designers are the crème de la crème for weddings. They are hired based on their beautiful past design projects. They’re known for taking care of your floral and linen design as well, such as centerpiece arrangements and more.

Whether you need a wedding coordinator, wedding planner or event designer, all roles can achieve a wedding that is truly you. It all depends what your needs are as well as your budget before you decide on your selection.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Happy New Year! I’m sure you all have had a great holiday season; now back to planning your big day. Entertainment is essential in every wedding; you and your guests will appreciate the art and sound of music. You may want to include a live musician during your ceremony, cocktail or during your reception. If you want to add a whimsical feeling in your wedding, such as having a harpist play magical tunes as you walk down the aisle- I have the perfect harpist in mind. I had the opportunity to interview the talented Brandee Younger, as well as I will be attending her live performance on Friday, January 14, 2011. If you are interested in having a harpist for your event and would like to see her live, this can be a great opportunity for you, as well as a romantic night out with your fiancé.

Q: How did you find your passion in playing the harp? How long have you been playing the harp? A: It probably wasn't until I became a young adult that I realized that this is what I was meant to do. I have been playing for about 15 years now and over time; things really began to unfold right in front of me. I couldn't ask for anything more!

Q: What kind of events have you performed? What venues have you performed at? A: I've performed every kind of event imaginable! Any celebration you can imagine, I've played. I have performed at many wonderful venues including Carnegie Hall, Joseph Meyerhoff Hall, Blue Note, Birdland and Iridium Jazz Clubs, the Hammerstein Ballroom-- the list goes on & on.

Q: Do you think having a live performance adds a special touch to a wedding?A: Absolutely! A wedding happens once and the ceremony itself is the most sacred part. Having live music does not even compare to having a recorded track. There are nuances that can only happen in real life. I can't imagine having a recording of a pastor or priest conducting a wedding ceremony!

Q: What songs do you recommend for brides to play during their ceremony A: Many brides LOVE Pachelbel's Canon. I suggest alternatives to that. Maybe something like Vivaldi's Concerto for Lute. It's beautiful and not as done as the Pachelbel, and Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Also, pieces like Brahms, Variations on a Theme by Haydn; Bach, Prelude in C & The Trumpet Voluntary all are good alternatives for the "run of the mill" pieces.

Q: Do you offer advice/suggestions in what songs compliment a bride/groom’s personality?A: Often times, couples have songs that mean a lot to them. I once had a couple that met while Enya was playing, so it was important for them to have some Enya during their ceremony. It brought back the memories of their first meeting. Also, I play for many couples that come from different religious backgrounds, so they may not want any music related to church, so they want their personal preference. I've played Barbara Streisand, Beyonce, CeCe Winans, Bryan Adams...I think I even had to play something from Jurassic Park once before! I think I was in college then, though :-) I do suggest alternatives however, if a bride requests something I feel would sound pretty awful on the harp.

Q: What kind of genres do you play? A: I am an oddball ;) I'm classically trained, so I play classical music, but I also play jazz, R&B, and pop styles as well.

Q: Do you play solo or do you play with ensemble? A: Both! I play weddings solo, or duo with my flutist or trio with flute & bass, or cello. People like to change things a bit for cocktails, so we'll often have a jazz trio of harp, bass & drums for cocktail or dinner hour.

Q: How far in advance a client should book your services? A: I prefer 6 months in advance.

Q: What upcoming events do you have in New York City, so we can see your performance?A: January 14th at the Nabi Art Gallery! It should be a great show full of harp :-) The address is 137 West 25th St. Feel free to visit www.brandeeyounger.com for more details as the date nears.

About Me

Hi my name is Fouzia-I'm a Wedding Planner located in Queens, NY. Ready to share helpful advice to brides and soon to be brides on this blog. Budget, Timeline, Style- is what every couple thinks of when planning their big day. Please visit my website to learn more about what My Bridal Budget can do for you! Remember every bride has a budget ;0)